Thursday, June 21, 2012

I thought I'd post a quick article and highlight some of the current Lincoln Stars players, and draft picks, who could be selected in the upcoming 2012 NHL Entry Draft held in Pittsburgh, PA.

The first round of the 2012 NHL draft will be held this Friday (tomorrow) evening, starting at 6pm CST. It will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network. Rounds 2-7 of the draft will be held on Saturday, starting at 9am CST. The second day of the draft will be broadcast on the NHL Network. Click here to read more about the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Of course the big name that all Stars fans will all be watching for this weekend will be Kevin Roy. Roy shattered just about every offensive record the Stars had last season, including many USHL Tier 1 league records. From what I've read online, most pundits believe that Roy could be selected anywhere from the 3rd to the 5th round. You just never know. He could go earlier than the 3rd round, or he could go later than the 5th also. It's hard to pinpoint which round he will be drafted in as certain teams might be more inclined to pick him over others.

Click here and here to read more about Kevin and his road to the NHL draft this weekend. Roy still has a verbal commitment to Brown University, but there's been a lot of talk in hockey circles as of late that other colleges may try to lure Roy away from Brown. Also, there is talk that whichever NHL drafts Kevin might end up pushing him to go the major junior route and play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL unsuccessfully tried to lure Kevin away from the Lincoln Stars over the holiday break in 2011. Click here to read more about that. Roy has a lot of options as of right now, and in my opinion, where he plays hockey next season depends a lot on which NHL team drafts him this weekend.

Since we are talking about Kevin, here's a quick story I posted on the blog's Twitter and Facebook pages. Earlier this week, the USHL announced it was sending gloves worn by Roy to the Hockey Hall of Fame, which is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Specifically, the gloves that will be on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame will be the ones that Kevin was wearing when he scored his 50th goal, and his 100th point. Click more to read about that.

Back to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, there could be a few other familiar names that end up getting selected this weekend. Those include current Stars Zach Aston-Reese, Mike McKee, and draft pick Louie Nanne. All three were listed on the NHL's Central Scouting List at least once this past season, so each player has a shot at being drafted.

Tune in this weekend to the NBC Sports Network and the NHL Network to follow the draft live as it happens.